Thursday, December 8, 2016

I am very busy. At least, that is what's on the cover of my pink listy notebook I keep on my desk at home (see it right here)...and it's true! I haven't even had time lately to put new lists in it. (sad for a listy girl like me) But, last year, I had started stitching up Midori Traveler's style notebooks, and by the time I sold some of them, it was after the holidays, so I still had SantaDori in my stash. Although I love the upcycled Coach leather Midori I made, it was really fun to switch over to this Christmas theme for the month. See how I upcycled an old leather handbag into a Midori notebook

One of my favorite things about this large fabric Cahier-size Midori is how I stitched the inside with white felt lining, a cute pocket, a heart diecut from the fabric, and a Christmas tree pin. I had made a lot of those Christmas pins the year before out of felt, and so I just stuck one in there. So cute. At the time, the plan was to make a lot of SantaDori's and use up all those Christmas tree pins. Sigh. Maybe next year.

I'm on the go right now with work and a show I'm in (9 to 5 The Musical), so this notebook is fully loaded and keeping me sane. It has two six-month planners, a list book with every list I need for every thing, a folder packed with diecuts and scraps, a dashboard I made to keep extra posties and washi, a business book with plans and ideas, and a verse and phrase art journal to play in. Plus I have extra Ink Joy gel pens hooked on the side there--I really love those gel pens they've come out with.

Playing in my art journal phrase/verse book

Does this Midori stay with me at all times. Oh yes. Is it like a personal assistant? Definitely! Plus, if I have a little downtime, I've got art supplies.

I love my sugarplum fairy Nutcracker charm on the spine.

And, I have a home for my cute DIY decorative paperclips. They really come in handy here.

Because this Midori has a pen loop stitched on, I can just clip on a few binder clips to also carry around the extra gel pens, and keep my Smashbook marker/glue pen in the loop.

Most crafters probably have all the supplies they need to stitch up a Midori style notebook, in whatever size you wish. Then, load it up with everything you need!Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Happy What's-on-your-Workdesk-Wednesday lovelies! Just click on that link if you're mystified.My desk is full of happy place goodness, like my birthday mug from darling nephew, my listy pad with lots of shopping lists, my cross-stitch and even that kitty pen. I love that kitty pen. And being super busy with work and rehearsals for the musical 9 to 5, I am just having a ball. Now, you would think I'd be dog tired all the time (at 56 I'm even older than Jan!!)--but energy seems to promote more energy! I do have to get my sleep though, take my vitamins, use my cool mist essential oil humidifier, totally limit night time carbs, and drink plenty of water. Hello! High maintenance! But that's okay. The only cookies for me are apparently here on blogger where they have a notice up about telling my European friends we have cookies. But trust me, they are not chocolate chip.

I have experienced more desk delight lately because of this amazing thing--one of those multi-pocket tote organizers. I picked up two on sale for half-price, and they've change my life, oh yeh. This one carries the brunt of my messy deskness. It's just packed with things that I like to keep out and about and in view, but they are all organized, including some rings of washi tape hanging on a ring on the tote. That tote thinks of everything. I love her. I even have a Hello Kitty flashdrive hanging there! And of course, that's my new glue gun--remember, the one that is cordless AND has a light! I am notorious for actually losing glue guns. So that baby is in sight at all times.

To the left is multi-pocket organizing craft tote no. 2. This is my bible-art-journaling tote. So it is packed with all of those supplies. I can just carry it to the coffee table if I want to hang out there and journal, I can take it to bed and journal with my lap desk, or even to my sunroom. The Reset Girl on Youtube is responsible for this, and I love her. She even took one of those craft totes on a plane. So, I'm pretty sure I could take this anywhere I'm going to be camped out for a while and want something creative to do. It is heavy though--it has so many pockets inside and out, that you have no problem stuffing in your markers, ink pads, stamps, planners, journals, bibles, and little makeup bags to organize your ephemera, stickers and embellishments. LOVE!!!

And check me out--it is the last room of the 12-month dollhouse cross-stitch!!! It is almost complete. It's the garage, and I still have another thing to stitch on the shelf, and some outlining to do. Woo hoo!

Right now we are rehearsing 9 to 5 The Musical on the fourth floor of our Little Theatre (and by the way, there is NO elevator). It was renovated from some major grants, and I just love touches like this where they have painted on some motivation. So cute. Here's where I am A LOT right now.Happy Wednesday! I'm off to visit the WOYWW village!Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

And I offer this half-blurry photo for my quick post today taken early this morning. This is my beloved bible/art journaling tote I put together a couple of weeks ago. It is to keep all my journaling supplies together, lug around the house if I want to, and I can't believe how much I love this. And thank goodness I did it. Because the next week, I suddenly auditioned for a musical, 9 to 5 the Musical. The music and lyrics were written by Dolly Pardon, and it is, of course, based on the movie 9 to 5 which I always loved, and I got a great role! I am loving rehearsals and all the singing and the dancing, and really all the music in this show is fantastic. But I also work, I craft, I sing in the church choir. So keeping up my energy is job one right now.I find though, that having at least this much of my art supplies together and organized has made all the difference. And in my "theatre rehearsal bag" I can just grab my Midori, and one of the little bags in this tote that has the real on-the-go things like markers, washi tape, and a few stamps and then I also throw in my knitting and *boom* I've got things to do at rehearsal when I'm not on. Woo hoo!But I still plan to do a blog about my whole journaling tote here when I have a minute--so it's coming soon!Happy Wednesday!Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Happy Wednesday lovely! I'm popping in very quickly so I have time for visitation! As you can see, I've been fiddling with my new personal planner from Recollections--picked up on sale and with a coupon of course. Michaels now has a hugey selection of planners and planner accessories just in. I still love my planner in my Midori, but I wanted a personal size ring binder planner for my bible journaling tote. It is dedicated to things like bible study notes, thankful lists, inspiring clippings, and anything to do with creative bible journaling. So to start putting it together I got a gold foil Christmas paper pack to help decorate behind the dividers and in the pockets, etc. So fun!Also scattered on this Wednesday morning's fresh photo is Halloween stickers that were completely marked down, some essential oils I got on sale--loving my oil diffuser humidifier--my coffee, and a kitty pen! I just picked that up at the At Home store at checkout, I had to have that cute pen. Oh my goodness.

Just finishing the last of the outlining in the November room (the kitchen) of the cross-stitch dollhouse. Coming up is the last room--the garage! Have a wonderful week.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Happy Wednesday lovely! I hope you are in your happy place. This is mine, and it's even happier with this new cordless glue gun I found at Hobby Lobby! Used a coupon, and was completely delighted the first time I used it and realized it also has a light on it. What!! No cord AND a light? I didn't even know they put lights on glue guns now. So yes, we are in love. I'm doing a page in my bible journal notebook. I also have an actual journaling bible and I'm really enjoying it.

My bible journaling tote

I picked up a craft tote on sale half price, from Paper Studio, at Hobby Lobby, and thanks to inspiration from The Reset Girl on YouTube, I have a dedicated bible journaling tote. It also hold other kinds of journaling. Having my bible journaling supplies, my bibles, notebooks, stamps, stencils, paints, markers, everything all together in one place actually causes me to sit down and do it! I can take it out on the sunporch, take it in the car, I'm amazed. Why didn't I think of this long ago! And I just purchased some downloadable digital art from Illustrated Faith, and getting ready to have fun with that. It's all printed out. And the great thing is, I can print it out as many times as I want.

And, while I'm on a roll, I have a new little ultrasonic cool mist oil diffuser that sits on my craft table. I love having one, it's awesome, it even changes colors, and again, why didn't I get an oil diffuser long ago! My favorite daytime scent combo is lemongrass and peppermint. I feel happy and more energized. I think it works! In fact, I'm finishing the November room in the dollhouse cross-stitch! Not long ago I was behind by two months. But I really loved stitching this little kitchen. So, I should be done with the December room by my birthday! (Nov. 10) That would be cool. I may go back after I'm done, and stitch a couple of my favorite rooms to be little individual pieces to frame.

And lastly, I found the cutest little mini stapler, and I love this little thing, it is very sturdy. I keep another mini stapler I like in the bible journaling tote, so I got this one to just sit on the craft desk, and it even has the little page flag dispenser on top. Cute!

So, after I grab another cuppa coffee, I'll hop around the WOYWW neighborhood for a visit. Cheers and happy Wednesday!Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Monday, October 24, 2016

Week after week...messy desktop after messy desktop...constantly wondering why can't I keep this place tidy so I'll feel more creative...what's my problem.Well, now I know thanks to a half-price craft tote sale at Hobby Lobby. I was always drawn to these totes, but in the back of my mind I thought, what would I really do with all those pockets, nooks and crannies and they'd most likely end up being tossed aside, OR cause me to buy craft supplies I don't really need to fill up those pockets!Oh no, no, no, mademoiselle. Oh contraire. They solved two big craft desk organization problems!

Let me say first, it's one thing to actually have a project spread out...but it's another to constantly have my piles and ongoing mess!Problem One: I am always working on more than one project, and I don't want to let one get buried, forget what I was doing with it, and it ends up in the UFO bin. So it's in a pile on the desk.Problem Two: If I really put things away, completely out of my sight, then they tend to stay there. For years possibly. I forget about them and don't use them. That is a craft tragedy in my mind. So I tend to let those things hang around on my desktop somewhere, knowing that at least I'll see them all the time. But then, you know, things get piled up. What the craft tote does:All the stuff that I like to use all the time is upright, visible, yet organized in the craft tote. It even has a sturdy ring to hang my washi rings on! I love that. And, although it is loaded up and very heavy, it has super sturdy handles, so I can move this thing around the craft room. I can change out what I want in it, and basically it is my messy desktop all organized and extremely handy without taking up all that valuable real estate on the desk. It is now housing little patterned paper pads I want to use soon, the cropadile, favorite pens and markers, my new cordless glue gun (go me), things that tend to go in and out of my purse and lay on my desktop, my planner, stencils, stamps, ink pads, favorite scissors, and my awesome mini stapler.

And this Paper Studio Craft Tote is still not completely full. It has interior pockets within the compartments, so I can stuff receipts in there, mail, a package of ephemera I don't want to open yet but don't want to lose track of, and my extra Midori goodies I'm working on.

I could also stick my current stitching project in here, but I actually rescued a smaller, old craft tote and have deemed it my current stitching project tote--I was on a roll. And now my desk is happy.

Just my big to-do listy book I was writing in, and a cuppa.And if you've made it all the way down here...here's what NOT to buy at Hobby Lobby.

Isn't it adorable! A little portable office. DON'T buy it. It promised that it came with a hole punch. There's no hole punch in here. Then, I tried to load the stapler and it immediately broke. *sigh* I'm going to take it back. And anyway, I have a cute mini stapler from Office Depot that works fantastic. I don't even know why I bought this--I was sucked in by the cuteness.

Later this week I'll post my Craft Tote Bliss Part Two--what really started all of this. My bible journaling tote! It's the same tote by Paper Studio in a different color, and it is now home to all my wonderful bible journaling goodies that I can carry around the house, move from table to desk, or take in my car. I'll break it all down for you on how I put mine together and why on Thursday.Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

This is a little reminder that you don't have to shop at the craft stores for everything in your crafty corner of life. I happen to love all the new rose gold that's been appearing everywhere. And I needed a little embroidery bag to throw in my work bag every day. BUT...I really wanted one with rose gold hardware. It just makes me happy.I was in the cosmetics aisle, though, not the craft store, and I found a whole new inexpensive line of cosmetics bags from Flower Beauty--the new brand by Drew Barrymore. The best thing, besides the price, is the gorgeous oversized rose gold zipper pulls and hardware! So cute. I just picked up this little one for now, and then right there in the same aisle, I found rose gold stork scissors! What?!? As someone who threads a needle every day, I love my little gold stork scissors. But these rose gold stork scissors are adorable. They're meant to be brow trimmers, but now they are repurposed as another pair of embroidery scissors, plus they look cute in this bag. Boom!It's just those little daily things that can bring us extra joy--so why not find what you like and repurpose it! After all, my favorite travel craft bag is an Orla Kiely diaper bag! And I left the actual diaper bags years far behind me! But let me tell you, nothing has more pockets or is built more sturdy than a diaper bag. Makes you rethink what you need and where you shop for it!Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

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Welcome to Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch. It's time to do the thing that lights you up.

I hope you have a chance to visit my blog, EatWriteDreamStitch.blogspot.com. Food, stitching, scrapbooking, gardening, and a little dreaming is what I write about. I share my new ideas, and ways to upcycle what you
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